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A Low FODMAP Passover Menu

What happens when you mix the low FODMAP diet with Passover? You have an even more restrictive diet. The low FODMAP diet and Passover have in common that you cannot eat wheat, barley, and rye. However, Passover also limits eating rice, oat, spelt, corn, millet and legumes like beans and peanuts. However, Sephardic Jews are allowed to eat rice, beans, corn, and popcorn. So what is one to do? For lunches and dinners, we can eat salads and soups and we can prepare our vegetable dishes and proteins, whether poultry, meat, fish, or tofu as usual. What I find tricky to figure out and potentially boring is breakfast, side dishes, and snacks. With Passover starting this Friday night, I compiled a list of foods and recipes so you have more to eat than just gluten-free Matzo and potatoes over the eight days.

Breakfast:Some people grew up with having matzo brei for breakfast but my breakfast of choice was coffee matzo. My grandmother would pour cups of hot milk with an added dash of coffee and sugar and serve it to my sisters and me. We would then dunk matzo in until it became soft. As we became older, the ratio of hot milk to coffee slowly reversed. Although I have fond memories of that breakfast, it is probably not the most nutritious breakfast. Other options are:

The typical matzo with cheese, but add on some avocado, tomatoes, or smoked salmon.

Omelets, frittatas, or scrambled eggs with vegetables.

Smoothies or juices are an excellent option. If you are like me and usually add in peanut butter, you can swap in almonds or pecans instead.

Plain yogurt with fruit and nuts.

Passover granola – To make it low FOMDAP, use gluten-free matzo farfel, swap the honey for maple syrup, and use dried bananas (10 chips is allowed in one sitting) and dried cranberries (1 tbsp is allowed in one sitting).

Side Dishes:Quinoa recently became approved to eat during Passover. Since it can be grown next to other grains prohibited to eat on Passover, you should make sure it has Kosher for Passover written on the package.